Eating Right at Swasey Parkway

The more you learn about food that is not grown locally and as naturally as possible, the more you can’t wait for that farmers market to open in Swasey Parkway. Thankfully it has and I am happy to hear it will keep its traditional location this year. Following a lot of debate regarding relocating the market and traffic patterns from construction in town, the Board of Selectmen decided to keep the market along the banks of the Exeter River. So a tradition is upheld and this old Exeter soul is happy. 

Having been born and raised in Exeter, it is to me the most natural place to peruse for produce.  As an adult, I have picnicked along the parkway on many occasions, as a parent I have brought my children to activities held along its winding pavement and as a child I learned about nature and food whenever I was taken on a “girls’ day out” stroll with my favorite aunt.

My aunt Olga held a wealth of knowledge about plants and wildlife and was always offering new bits of information whenever we would spend a day together. As a child she would take me to Woolworths for a bowl of ice cream at their luncheon counter and afterward we would walk around the corner to Swasey Parkway to explore.  She would talk about a new cookie recipe she found or point out what each plant we encountered along the banks of the river was and what was interesting about its qualities.  Some plant life attracted certain birds, some were very fragrant and some were actually edible.  Yes, I said edible.  I remember one day in particular my aunt pulling a branch closer and explaining that the little ball-like sprouts were called “rose hips” and then she plucked one off and bit into it.  I was shocked for some reason.  I mean, who knew some plants in the Parkway were edible?

This is not to encourage you to go out and feed on the wildlife of Swasey Parkway, in fact, please don’t. I am not certain of the legal ramifications, but I am certain if you are not supposed to pick flowers in a public park, eating parts of the bushes is probably frowned upon as well. But I say this story because once again summer at Swasey Parkway equates to naturally grown local produce for me. It is about knowing what you can and should eat that is not dangerous to you. And it remains good to know that natural foods grown locally are something we can once again find each Thursday at the farmer’s market.

An article I saw posted on Facebook this week stated that toxins implanted into Genetically Modified (GM) food crops to kill pests are showing up our bloodstream. The article focused on women and unborn babies stating that a landmark study found 93 percent of blood samples taken from pregnant women and 80 percent from umbilical cords tested positive for traces of the chemicals.

I mean honestly, with all there is to worry about, do I also have to worry about my vegetables?  Well, apparently the answer is sometimes, yes. To me it just backs up the need to go as natural or organic as possible.  See you at the parkway.

The Seacoast Growers Association’s farmers market is open in Exeter, each Thursday from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m.